Does Jack Wilshere deserve to be the Arsenal captain?

Thomas Vermaelen and Mikel Arteta have been appointed the Arsenal captaincy since the beginning of the season. Does Jack Wilshere deserve to be considered as the team captain?

Ahead of Arsenal's match against Brighton for the FA Cup, Arsenal fans were ecstatic with the thought of Jack Wilshere leading the London side out onto the pitch.

He had already captained the side mid-week against West Ham, but that was only due to the fact that Thomas Vermaelen was substituted in the second half.

On Saturday, the England International only came on in the 68th minute to replace Tomas Rosicky, not giving him the chance to lead his team out, just yet.

Since Wilshere got the chance to wear the armband against West Ham, many fans and football analysts have been questioning if the midfielder should be the primary captain.

The truth is that although Vermaelen may be a notable figure in the Arsenal defense, the Belgian is not the type of player who will lay into his teammates when needed.

When you consider some of the previous players to captain Arsenal over the years, Vermaelen does not come across as someone who will give his teammates an ear full. How often do you see the Arsenal skipper react to a bad decision or a mental lapse from the Gunners?

The answer is not very often because he is either part of that mental lapse or he just does not make his players aware of their mistakes.

Now, he may have a word to say in the dressing room, but by that time, the reaction may be too late.

Vermaelen may be Arsene Wenger's best option in the center of the Arsenal defense, but that does not make him captain material.

Given their inconsistencies as of late, or shall we say over the previous years, Arsenal desperately needs someone who can put the team on their back when needed. Since his return from injury, Wilshere has proven that he is the right man for the job.

In their shocking defeat to Bradford City, Wilshere showed signs of a player who really suffers with every poor performance from the Gunners.

Against Swansea, Wilshere once again carried the team forward until he eventually grabbed the loan goal which put the Gunners through to the next round in the FA Cup.

So while Wenger will obviously not make a captaincy change this season, he must definitely be contemplating adding Jack to the list of captains for the future.

For now, the Arsenal number 10 will have to settle for being just another player in the squad, but he knows that even without the captain arm band, he is arguably Arsenal's most important player at the moment.